The Nation: Let's End the Two-Party Duopoly

[BlueEyedSon]

Required reading on how to heal the system.....

http://www.thenation.com/edcut/index.mhtml?bid=7

When Ralph Nader chided what he called the "liberal intelligentsia" for appealing to him not to run in 2004 as "a contemptuous statement against democracy, against freedom, against more voices and choices for the American people," he added, "You'd never find that type of thing in Canada or Western democracies in Europe."

But Ralph was being disingenuous by not acknowledging that before Americans can take advantage of the heightened democracy enjoyed by those nations, we need a slew of electoral reforms that he may support on his campaign website, but which have gone virtually unmentioned in his media appearances and speeches.

I agree with Nader that America's democratic promise isn't fulfilled and that we live with a downsized politics of excluded alternatives. But, as The Nation noted in our "Open Letter" appealing to him not to run in an election when the overwhelming mass of progressive voters have only one focus--beating Bush--Nader's perceived role as a spoiler is likely to attract far more attention than the valuable issues he raises.

[La_Serpiente]

1. sounds good to me

i hope it is adopted by the party this year.

[Sagan]

2. I would love a parliamentary system...

It ensures that the party in power has the power to act as well as the accountability. None of this finger-pointing and mutual blaming with the purpose of maintaining incumbents.

[The Zanti Regent]

5. Like Italy?

With 30 odd parties????

Can you say "I-N-S-T-A-B-I-L-I-T-Y"???????

[Minstrel Boy]

6. How about Canada,

with four or five major parties? I can vote my conscience and it's not a wasted ballot. Imagine: real choice.

Lots of other examples of stable, multi-party parliamentary democracies. Italy is a scare-mongering exception.

[robertpaulsen]

3. Right on!

I didn't know Bill Richardson supported IRV. Makes me hope that Kerry gives him serious consideration for the VP slot.

[BlueEyedSon]

4. *kick*